By Doug Rogers
Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions
For the first time since 1963, the State Board of Missions (SBOM) has a new address and a new place to call home. On January 15, SBOM officially opened its doors at 1404 Fairview Avenue in Prattville after a weeklong moving process to vacate the Montgomery location, which itself followed many months of cleaning out, purging and packing.
The new 39,900-square-foot facility, which sits on just under four acres, was constructed and occupied in just under one year. The building is a result of a plan between Baptist Health, who built the new facility, and SBOM, amounting to an exchange of keys and property but with no funds exchanged, leaving SBOM debt-free.
Baptist Health will take possession of the former SBOM facility, located at the corner of Narrow Lane Road and East South Boulevard in Montgomery — immediately next door to Baptist Medical Center South.
Several offices were moved each day beginning Jan. 8 from the Montgomery location to the Prattville facility, located 1.5 miles west of exit 181 off Interstate 65. By Jan. 11 every office had been moved and staff members were busy setting up and preparing for opening day. On Friday afternoon, Jan. 12, staff members closed the week out with a prayer walk encompassing the entire facility and parking lot, committing the new resource center to God’s glory and the usefulness of Alabama Baptists.
Coming together
The building and move-in process was superintended by Bobby DuBois, SBOM’s associate executive director and chief financial officer.
“I can’t say enough about the way our State Board family came together to accomplish this huge task and the support of Alabama Baptists in this endeavor. We are looking forward to many years of using this facility to resource our churches for Great Commission Ministries.”
In addition to housing the offices of SBOM, Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union and Alabama Baptist Retirement Centers, the new facility will feature a Great Commission Ministries (GCM) Conference Room which will seat around 150 and can be subdivided into three sections, a meal service area, three additional conference rooms and a classroom.
The State Board of Missions Office Facility will be officially dedicated during Executive Committee and State Board of Missions meetings on Feb. 1 and 2. Forthcoming announcements will detail opportunities for tours and open houses throughout the next several months.
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